Gypsy Traveller League hit back at ‘No Travellers’ sign
A Gypsy/Traveller campaign organisation has condemned an ‘offensive and unlawful’ ‘No Travellers’ sign spotted at a mobile home park in Christchurch, Dorset, last week.
“The sign at Gracelands Park, boldly declaring "No Travellers," is not just deeply offensive, but it is also a flagrant violation of the Equality Act 2010,” said a spokesperson for the Gypsy Traveller League, adding that the Act was established to protect individuals from discrimination based on protected characteristics, including race and ethnic origin.
An image of the ‘No Travellers’ sign came to light last week and was shared widely on social media. The sign says: No Hawkers, No door to door sales and No Travellers’.
“By singling out Travellers—a recognized ethnic group under the Act—this sign is engaging in direct discrimination, which is both unlawful and morally reprehensible,” said the Gypsy Traveller League, who first came to prominence by organising five aside football matches for Travellers, before developing into a more general campaign group from there.
Gracelands is owned and operated by WVPC Park Homes, who run another five mobile home parks across the south of England.
“Imagine the outrage if this sign targeted any other protected group—be it based on race, religion, or disability. Such blatant discrimination would rightly be met with public condemnation and legal consequences. Yet, for some reason, this same standard is not being applied to Travellers. This double standard is unacceptable and highlights a deep-seated prejudice that must be confronted.”
“This sign perpetuates harmful stereotypes and reinforces the unjust treatment of an entire ethnic group. It is grossly unfair to judge the many by the actions of a few. The vast majority of Travellers are law-abiding citizens who deserve the same respect and rights as anyone else. To exclude them so openly is to deny their humanity and to contribute to a cycle of marginalisation and exclusion.”
“Gracelands Park must remove this discriminatory sign immediately and revise its policies to comply with anti-discrimination laws. We must stand firm against all forms of prejudice and ensure that every individual, regardless of their background or ethnicity, is treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. Discrimination in any form is intolerable, and we must not allow it to persist.”
The Travellers’ Times approached WVC homes and asked them if they had removed the sign and to invite them to provide a statement for this article.
We do this to verify the story and to protect ourselves from libel.
Despite giving WVC Park Homes a generous deadline to do this, they failed to reply.
TT News
(Image courtesy of Gypsy Traveller League)